


Cosmo with lemon, anyone?

by Our_FireySky



Category: Cuphead (Video Game)
Genre: Large hints of rape, M/M, girl slowly going insane while DiceCup happens, king dice is just a little possesive, the devil is a little shit sometimes, uggh why did i make this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-23 07:41:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13185456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Our_FireySky/pseuds/Our_FireySky
Summary: “What is it, Dice?”“King Dice.” He trained is eyes on a wall, too embarrassed to look at Cuphead directly.“…Well?”“I’m just wondering… e-er… what you taste like.”Cuphead’s shocked expression was enough to make the gentleman blush.“Your drink! In your head. Not… not…” He blinked, hard this time. “You know what I mean.”Laughter filled the halls, and it didn’t stop until Cuphead was close to tears.Blondie, mentions of rape, and, like, a lot of DiceCup. Loosely based on Shamaru's "Discussions Over Drinks". Teen and up / Mature. Please enjoy! :)





	1. Blondie, Devil, Dice, and Cup

 

It was just another lonely day at the Devil’s Casino. King Dice shuffled the cards and dealt them out to the poor souls that would soon belong to his boss. He glanced around, just like he always did. The singer hit each note perfectly and danced on the stage, making many mouths water at her ‘clothing’.  The Devil prowled around, looking for the players that had too much luck.

Bet with them.

Watched them lose.

And watched them run away, narrowly escaping his wrath.

Their contracts would come back eventually. 

…One woman at the table had gotten 22, and was pissed. Two kings and a two of hearts isn’t quite what one needs to win Blackjack, however.

He had 20, the closest anyone had gotten, and took their chips back. She was upset now, but she should’ve been grateful. Who knows what the Devil would use her for…

He blinked, dragging his thoughts out of the dark alleyway they were going into. He had a job to do, and the Devil would be more than fuming if he lost money because of King Dice’s lack of concentration.

“Someone order a cosmo with lemon?” Cuphead lazily placed a hand on the table, holding out the glass to the customers, tilting it slightly to the blondie. She took it. “Guess it’s settled, then.”

He pushed off the table and walked away, but not before giving KD a lethargic smile. The woman downed the drink in two gulps. She picked up her hand. Hit. Lost. A thirty this time.

And then a twenty-four.

“Someone order another cosmo with lemon?” He held it just within her reach, making her, huffing, reach over to get it. The Devil turned around and looked down, getting an eyeful of the finest glutes in the entire Casino. She stood up straight again and turned around to see a quite perverted boss.

“What?” He said teasingly, and licked his lips. She huffed once more and returned to the game.

Hit. Twenty-one.

She took the chips.

Hit. Twenty.

She took the chips.

She put half of her chips in. Hit. Twenty three.

She cursed under her breath.

“Someone order yet another cosmo with lemon?” This time, Cuphead had the audacity to sit on the green felt, cross his legs, turn his torso, and wink at her. “Catch.”

He handed it to her. She took it.

“Mind if I watch this game, Dice?”

“King Dice,” he corrected, “and I don’t see why not.”

Twenty-three.

Sixteen.

Twenty-five.

Twenty-four, again.

“Guess it just isn’t your day, Lady,” He gave her a lopsided smile. She wrinkled her nose.

Shrugging, he got off the table and started to walk away.

“Hey, Cup Boy. Catch.”

She tossed the martini glass toward him. He turned around, seeing it in the air, and caught it with two of his fingers. “Lady, throwing things is one of the fastest ways to get kicked out of here.” He glanced over at the Devil.

“I think the boss would make an exception this time, though. He seems to fancy you. Or, rather, the curves on you.”

Her face turned from white to red in a matter of seconds. She let out a ‘Well, I never!’ before leaving, forgetting to cash her chips in. KD swept them up with his hands and moved them to the large pile.

“Cuphead,” he said.

“Yeah, Dice?”

“King Dice.” He picked up a chip with his middle and index finger. “Catch.”

He threw one to Cuphead, who caught it easily. Then he threw another.

And two more.

And much more after that.

Cuphead caught each, sometimes twirling before catching one, getting a few in the used glass, and occasionally kicking it back to him while it was still in the air, making KD have to break his rhythm to catch the flying disk.  It was the most fun he had indulged in all day. A few Cuphead got on his knee, and one he head-butted into the many in his hands, making a clinking sound.

The last one he was able to get with his teeth.

The small crowd that had gathered applauded, and they both bowed. “Cuphead, go bring those to the booth.”

“Aye aye, Dice.”

“ _King_ Dice.”

He heard the Devil laugh. Well, more like roar. “You sure get your boxers in a twist when it comes to your name, huh.”

“It’s the name I was given. I would prefer for others to spend the time saying it correctly, if only as a sign of respect.”

“Of course, Dicey, I understand.” KD raised an eyebrow, clearly not amused. However, the Devil was at the dice’s reaction. “Aww~! You’re so adorable when you’re mad, KD.”

He sniffed, giving a cynical smirk. “Funny, Lucy, _very_ funny.”

The Devil put on a mock scowl. “You win this one, you purple square.”

“Pleasure to be of service, Boss.” Lucifer looked around.

“Say, what happened to the blond chick?”

“Didn’t like being objectified.”

“What a shame. That ass of hers could’ve had a fine time in my office.”

King Dice inwardly cringed. “There are some things that I would prefer not to know, and that was one of them.”

“Well, Mr. Sensitive, just tell me after I’ve said anything not to your liking, and I’ll be sure to kiss your feet and beg for forgiveness.”

“You do realize that I will take you up on your offer, correct?”

The fallen angel rolled his eyes. “Get back to work, Dicey.”

“Anything for you, Lucy~”

King Dice smirked and dealt a few more hands before a familiar face walked into the Casino once again.

It was the blondie, a spark of determination in her eye.

She bought a few chips and returned to his table.

Hit. Twenty.

Next round. Hit. Twenty one.

Next. Nineteen.

Next. Twenty.

She gave him a sarcastic grin. He bit his tongue. What was he going to tell her, that she’d never see the light of day again if she didn’t leave real soon?

“What a streak of luck, Miss. Would you like to quit while you’re ahead?” He was in a relatively good mood, and he didn’t want it spoiled. Besides, the young woman had a long life ahead of her. He wouldn’t wish anyone to have to endure what Mary did.

“I’ll quit when I’m a millionaire.”

KD gracefully withdrew his hands and put them up. “Just a suggestion. It is your body, after all.”

“What do you mean, it’s my body?”

He looked her in the eyes, expression cold as lead. “You’ll see soon enough if you keep going.”

Her face looked worried for a moment, but soon her haughty expression was back.

“I’ll take my chances.”

Hit. Twenty one.

Hit. Twenty.

Twenty again.

Twenty-one.

“My, my. Looks like beautiful decided to join us again. And what a streak she has going!” The Devil grinned, not even trying to conceal the fact that he wasn’t looking at her eyes. She looked at him, disgusted.

“Ready to go out of business, scum?”

“Quite. I’mma make you a deal. You win the next round, you get all the loot in the Casino. You lose… And I take your soul.”

She glanced at King Dice, but his face was expressionless. She looked back at the Devil.

“Deal.”

He grinned maniacally. “Perfect.”

KD dealt the cards. Hit.

Then another.

And another.

And one last one before her complexion paled.

…Twenty-two.

“Guess I win, Blondie.” His grin had gotten wider, if that was even possible, and he started reaching for her.

“No… Please! I’ll do anything. Anything!” She got on her knees, hands clasped together.

“Anything…?” She nodded frantically. “Well, there is one thing you can do.”

He got so close to her that their noses nearly touched. “My office. Now.”

Her face became as white as a sheet. “N-no, not that. Not…”

“I thought you said anything, Blondie. I guess I’ll just have to take your soul, then.”

She scooted across the floor, desperate to get away. “Not so fast, girly.” With his sickening grin, he picked her up by her arm. “You’re not going to escape losing a bet with the Devil so quickly.”

With that, he dragged her, screaming, to his office.

King Dice sighed, his mood now ruined. He put on his cocky grin once more and dealt another round.

Yes, it was just an average day.

……………

 

The Devil hadn’t left his office, even after closing time, and the piercing screams had turned into whimpers. King Dice avoided going to that door as much as possible. Having someone’s dignity diminished to the point where they would kiss the ground the Devil walks on… Well. Ignorance is bliss, and he needed as much bliss as he could get.

King walked down the corridor, enveloped in his thoughts, when a voice pulled him out of them.

“Nice show we put on, huh, Dice?”

“King Dice. And yes, it was rather fun.” KD looked down at the cup who was level with his chin. Glistening liquid smiled alluringly at him. “The most fun I’ve had in a while, in fact.”

“Oh? Helping ol’ Lucifer grow his collection of souls doesn’t get a kick out of you?” King raised his eyebrows and gave Cup a grin.

“A kick out of me? No… nor does alcohol, or cocaine, or worse yet, flying in a plane, too high, with some gal in the sky.” King smirked at his reference, but Cuphead just tilted his head in confusion.

“I guess I know what I’m not getting you for your birthday,” he said. KD chuckled.

“No, no. It’s a song. Frank Cilantro, the uncle-in-law of the Root Pack?” Cuphead furrowed his brows.

“Never heard of ‘im.”

“He’s a great singer. Remind me sometime, and I’ll give you one of his records.” Cup’s eyes practically jumped out of their sockets.

“Record? Beelzebub, it’s that old?!” KD nodded.

“As old as it is good.”

“Jeez…”

An awkward silence followed the caboose of the train of conversation until it covered the entire hall in its lack of sound. Cuphead glanced down at his feet and began to twiddle his thumbs as King Dice debated on whether to say something or not. Eventually, his curiosity won over, and he cleared his throat.

“What is it, Dice?”

“King Dice.” He trained is eyes on a wall, too embarrassed to look at Cuphead directly.

“…Well?”

“I’m just wondering… e-er… what you taste like.”

Cuphead’s shocked expression was enough to make the gentleman blush.

“Your drink! In your head. Not… not…” He blinked, hard this time. “You know what I mean.”

Laughter filled the halls, and it didn’t stop until Cuphead was close to tears.

“Oh, oh my—! That… that was the most flustered I’ve ever seen you! You were stumbling over your words and stuttering and everything! Ha!”

KD crossed his arms and tabbed his foot impatiently at the chin-level cup, trying to fight the blush that started to creep further along his cheeks. “Yes, yes. Laugh it up. My question still stands.”

Still smirking, Cup looked at him with a spark of devilishness in his eye. “Want to find out?”

In hindsight, he shouldn’t’ve said that. In hindsight, he should have refused and left. But hindsight is 20/20, unlike the present sight. The sight of Dice staring into your eyes with the same look of determination the blondie had and lowering his face to the top of your head.

The feeling of Dice gingerly wrapping two of his fingers around your straw.

Of his lips slowly placing themselves onto it.

Of him, suckingg—!!

Cuphead barely held in a moan as KD slurped up the liquid inside his skull. King raised his eyebrows, but not at Cup’s reaction. It tasted… good. His word, it tasted good.

He tried to explain the taste to himself out loud, pausing frequently for another sip. “It’s like… Like nectar, but different… a hint of strawberry, how strange… but sweet; not too sweet, but sweet still… Like a sunny summer day, or a bouquet of roses… and fresh fruit from the garden… and… and…”

There was one more thing that he couldn’t place his finger on, but just as it was on the tip of his tongue, there was no more to drink. KD came out of his trace, slightly disappointed.

…It was only thin that he realized that Cuphead was clutching his shirt and squeezing his eyes shut, burying his forehead in King Dice’s chest. Cup was panting as silently as he could, not wanting to alarm the gentleman, but, at the same time, wanting to scream at him for stopping. The warmth in his core slowly disappeared, much to his dismay.

It had felt so good… Dice, sucking at his straw… Cuphead took a deep breath and shook his head. No, that’s — it’s — that’s not right. King Dice, the arrogant and hoity-toity square making his pants feel tighter? That’s just wrong.

But it happened. And it felt amazing, no doubt about it.

“Cuphead, are you feeling well?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. ‘M fine.” The cup released KD’s shirt, fingers suddenly feeling cold, and stepped away from him. This time, he was the one blushing. “Look, I better go. Promised Mugman that I would teach him a card game, so…”

“I see. Well, don’t let me stop you.” KD waved goodbye, smiled politely, and walked past him, once more becoming absorbed in his thoughts. But there were different thoughts now.

What was that… liquid… made out of? What was that one component, and why did it even taste so good to begin with? And why was a tiny part of himself beginning to ache for it?

Was he craving Cuphead’s juices?

...Ugh. Despite being able to phrase everything in a polite way, this was like trying to find a word which rhymed with ‘orange’ or ’silver’. It was impossible.

Cuphead let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, the tip of his straw, like his fingers, feeling cold. He tried to shake the feeling, but the more he thought about it, the more it took over his mind until he could only think about Dice.

His lips.

His warm chest.

His eyes.

His —— Snap out of it!

Mugman was waiting for him, and he really didn’t want to have to explain why he was late. ‘Oh, sorry, Dice just sucked up my liquid and gave me a boner!’

No, that wouldn’t be fun at all.

 


	2. Blondie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter focuses on the girl and how the two interact with her. Don't worry, next chapter will be mostly Dicecup!!

Cuphead had woken up a few mornings later, a surprising dream of him and Dice kissing like it was the end of the world slipping away.

Things had been awkward around him and King Dice, but only slightly. He’d still tease KD, and he’d still respond. The only awkward part then, Cuphead guessed, was on his part. After all, Dice didn’t know what he did. He didn’t know how he had made Cuphead feel…

His heart began to rise, and he pushed it back down. He had a job to do today, things to focus on, and romanticizing the Devil’s right-hand man was not part of it.

It wasn’t part of the routine to pretend to gaze into his emerald-green eyes, or to boop his pip nose, or to sigh while remembering his dreams… —!

Damnit. Was he really lonely enough to imagine kissing an arrogant square? He really needed to go out more, then.

…

The King woke up one day to see a blond-haired lady hiding in the corner of his room. She had determination in her eye, like before, but it was a different kind. Before, it was a want. Now it was a need.

“If you’re gonna make your escape, doll, better make it quick.” She gasped sharply, not realizing he was awake.

“Please, don’t tell him, _please_ -!”

“There’s no need to worry about that.” He winked at her. “What should be worried about, however, is the Devil’s temper.”

She looked like she might spit, she was so mad. “He can go to hell for all I care.” KD laughed.

“Doll. He’s the Devil. Where do you think he is now?” He fiddled with his mustache. “No matter. If you’re going to escape, you should get out quick. You don’t want to know what’ll happen if he catches you.”

“You think I don’t know that?!” She snapped.

“No, you don’t.” He looked at her coldly. “If he finds you, he’s gonna make you wish your parents never even met.” But then he shrugged.

“Well, it’s not my choice… It’s your body, after all.”

She paled, remembering what he had said to her that average night. Then she practically growled at him. “You knew. You knew what he would do!”

“And you did not heed my warning.”

“Why didn’t you make me leave? Kick me out, break my leg or something! Why didn’t you save me from this shitty, godforsaken hellhole?!”

“How could you not know?” King Dice sighed. “The Devil is the seven deadly sins combined. Wrath. Laziness. Greed. Envy. Gluttony. Vanity. And, of course, Lust. And the Devil hasn’t had a plaything to fulfill his desires with in such a long time…”

“I thought that was bullshit.” KD raised his eyebrows.

“Blondie, you are surely joking.”

“Don’t call me that!”

At this point, King Dice had had a bit of enough.

“I’ll call you whatever I damn please. You are an escapist on the run from the one and only Devil because you didn’t listen to my advice. You’ve snuck into my room, I have given you even more advice, and even promised to not tell my boss that his little domestic human has gotten loose, and you have the _audacity_ to tell me what I can and cannot call you?”

She glared at him and scowled. “My apologies, ‘Dice’. What I mean to say is that, though you may call me what you like, I will not respond to ‘Blondie’.”

He blinked. Then smirked. “Good. You still have a fight left in you.” King sat back down on his bed. “You’ll try to escape, but let me warn you once more, you better not get caught. He’ll turn you into a masochistic mess before the day is over.”

She smirked back. “Good thing I’m not planning on getting caught.”

With that, she slipped out the door, and King started getting ready for the long day he would have ahead of him.

….

 

…She had been so close.

She was right about to open the door when the horrendous monster picked her up by her arm and, fuming, asked her where she thought she was going.

King Dice watched her glare at Lucifer with a hatred so hot it was cold. He watched him grin at her, his smile hiding nothing but bad intentions, and dragging her, once more, into his office.

Cuphead heard the muffled screams and pleas that were drowned out to most by the singer. He decided to ignore it. There was nothing he could do, anyway.

Mugman only heard the orders at the bar, some of the patrons with a bit of appreciation of his innocence trying to keep the mug from losing it that day.

King Dice shuffled the cards and dealt them out at the blackjack table, shaking his head… She had been so close.

Oh well. Another life ruined. Another soul broken. It was just an average day.

…

When the blond finally woke up, one of her hands was chained to the desk. There was no way she would be able to escape now. A sob found its way out of her raw throat. She had cuts all over, her clothes were in tatters, more so than there were before, and her crotch was much more than sore.

She was going to die in this casino, she knew.

Another sob found its way out of her. It was only a matter of time. Another day, another living hell. God, she wished her parents had never even met!

Heh. That Dice guy was right.

…Maybe she should just try to end it all? Rub some dirt in her wounds, choke herself to death with the chain, hit her temple on the side of the desk. As long as she could escape.

But… did the Devil own her soul? She had made a deal, but she had gotten out of it, right? A tiny part of her wondered if that wasn’t the case. Perhaps she would just end up in hell anyway.

There was nowhere to go besides down. How had she been so stupid?!

The door opened, and she instinctively flinched.

“Beelzebub, I didn’t think it was _that_ bad!”

The Cup Boy gently ran over to her, holding a bottle of vodka, a bucket of water, a cloth, and a martini glass. He sprinkled some of the vodka onto the cloth and began disinfecting her wounds. She hissed in pain.

“I know. After all these years, he still doesn’t understand that this isn’t the way to get a girl to love him. Or maybe he doesn’t care.” He dunked the cloth in the bucket of water, getting the blood off of it. “But anyway.”

He put more vodka on it and placed in on one of her largest wounds, a claw mark going from her side to the middle of her back. It had mostly scabbed over, but Cuphead gave himself the honor of opening it again to make sure no bacteria was living there. She moved away from the cloth instinctively, and the handcuff pressed itself into her skin.

There was no way to get away from the pain… How symbolic.

“Hey, wanna hear some fun facts?” Cuphead didn’t wait for her to respond. “Okay, then.”

“Did you know that the opposite sides of a die add up to seven?” He rinsed the cloth out again.

“And yes, I’said ‘die’. ‘Die’ is the singular form of ‘dice’. So we should probably call him King Die, huh. You know, the one at the blackjack table.” This time, he just drizzled vodka on the wound. She sucked in a breath.

“Did you know that kangaroos can’t hop if you hold their tail? And orange was actually named after the fruit; before that, it was called yellow-red.” He wiped up the blood.

“Also, ‘rats live on no evil star’ is the same forwards and backward. Like ‘racecar’.” He started on another wound; a puncture wound on her chin. Though it wasn’t bleeding much, if Cuphead looked hard enough, he could see bone.

“There are, on average, two-thousand steps in a mile. That’s kinda long, huh?”

“About 10% of people are left-handed.”

“Lil’ goats are called kids.”

“Dogs have baby teeth, too.”

“The goose, not the chicken, was the first ever bird to be domesticated. That must’ve been real messy.”

“Camels can’t swim, but they can float.”

“Banging your head against a wall burns 150 calories an hour. Great way to lazy-exercise.”

“The largest snowflake recorded was 15 inches wide.”

“Emus can’t walk backwards.”

Soon Cuphead was almost done with the soon-to-be scars, and the blond was feeling slightly better, if that was even possible. Cup sighed and started to stretch. “Here. Cosmo with lemon, just for you.”

He handed her the martini glass, and she quickly accepted it. She had had nothing to eat or drink since two days prior, and she constantly wondered how she was still able to cry, as she was past the point of moderate dehydration.

The vodka burned, but she didn’t care. Maybe it would disinfect her almost bloody throat.

Cuphead had gotten some bandages from out of thin air, and he began to wrap her wounds. He had never done it before, though, so it took him a lot longer than it should have.

…A bit too long.

“My, my. What do we have here?” The Devil’s voice boomed.

Her face paled, and Cuphead avoided his gaze, trying to focus on the bandages.

“Cuphead.” He picked him up by the collar, forcing him to meet Lucifer’s gaze. “What in my name do you think you’re doing?”

“Bandaging up your human, Boss. She seems to be in rough condition.”

“And who gave you permission?” Cuphead scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

“Well, no-one, Boss, but I thought that you might not want this ‘ere blondie dying out on you, see.” The Devil glanced at the floor where the blond lay.

“And you’re using… vodka. The vodka we serve.” He shook his head.

“Nu-uh, Boss. This is the old kind. We don’t serve this anymore ‘cause it’s out of stores, remember? We switched a month ago.”

Lucifer glared at him, but seeing as though there was nothing more to question him on, let the cup go. “Next time, ask me before. She isn’t allowed visitors. We don’t want her getting any… ideas.”

“Aye-aye, Boss.”

With that, the Devil left, going to his chambers. She looked like she was ready to kick Cuphead in the balls.

“What?”

“You’re keeping me alive for him?! So I can hurt over and over again?” She snarled so viciously he almost took a step back.

“Huh?! No, v’course not! You’re not gonna get outta here if you’re dead or disabled, Blondie.”

“Don’t call me that!” He paused.

“…Well, what am I gonna call you, then?” She rolled her eyes.

“Bianca.”

“Bianca… Nice name.”

“Yeah.” There was an awkward pause. Cuphead resumed applying the bandages. 

Soon, he was done. He got up, taking the pail of red liquid, cloth, and vodka, and started to leave.

“Cup Boy.” He turned around.

“Uh-huh, Bianca?” She avoided his gaze. Funny, the last time someone had done that—

Ah, shit. He missed what she had said. “Sorry, I kinda zoned out for a bit. What did you say?”

She huffed in frustration. “I said, _why_?”

“Why?” Why had he helped her? He thought for a minute.

He wasn’t the kind of cup that would do this. No, he was the one who would beat up and get beaten up. Mugman would be the one to clean his wounds and put band-aids on his scrapes. So why? It was out of some sort of pity, that he knew. But why pity her? Why try to make her suffering less?

He came up with the answer. “Because if I had made one wrong move, or had been a different gender, I would be where you are now.”

There was a long, awkward pause as they both, Cuphead especially, let the reality of the statement sink in. "Well, anyway. Goodnight!”

He smiled and waved at her as he slipped through the door, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

 

And an empty martini glass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, no dicecup. But, but!! Just wait until the next few chapters.
> 
> TBH, I have no idea where this is going, but it's really fun to write. This is most likely gonna be like Shakespeare: not because it's good or people will be studying it, oh no! Because it'll have a lot of subplots. :D
> 
> But I've taken up too much of your time already. Have a good day!


	3. Drunk, but not that drunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They go for a walk.

 

Cuphead had barely made it two feet from the door when the gentleman in purple stopped him.

“Cuphead, what in the Devil’s name are you doing?”

He gave a nervous chuckle. “Funny, he asked me the same question. I was jus’ treating Bianca’s wounds.”

“Bianca?”

“The blondie.” King raised his eyebrows.

“I see. How is she faring?”

Cuphead gave another chuckle, this one bitter. “How do you think? Boss scratched her up good, and even handcuffed her to the desk. She’s not going anywhere for a long time.”

Dice nodded. There was a silence.

“…What were you doing, anyway?”

“Walking the halls, thinking.”

“Oh? Thinking of what?” Cuphead asked, intrigued.

“How one of the scoundrels at the table cheated, of how the dancer seems to be wearing fewer clothes by the day, about how there’s no true meaning to life… Simple, mundane things.” He gave Cup a small, soft smile, making him blush.

“Th-the meaning of life is far from mundane, Dice!”

“King Dice. And I disagree. It has been mused on for years, the greatest thinkers have wracked their brains and thought up answers. Unsatisfactory answers, but answers nonetheless. But there is no true meaning; there are many tiny, overlooked pieces that fit in the gigantic puzzle of an umbrella called ’The Meaning of Life’. So, to me, it is quite mundane, as it would take decades to compile the pieces, and there would be no satisfaction in finishing it.”

“Huh… Do you always do this? Walk around the hallways and think, I mean.”

“Occasionally. Whenever I know I’ll only be getting an hour or two of sleep that night.” Cuphead raised his eyebrows.

“Only an hour of sleep? How come?”

“How come…? I’d rather not say.” A blush of shame crept onto the cup’s cheeks.

“A-ah, I was prying, wasn’t I? Sorry, Dice, I didn’t mean to.”

“King Dice. And It’s fine, Cuphead. No need to apologize for curiosity.”

“But still…” The Cup looked like a dog who’d been scolded. King began to pity the poor lad.

“Usually, on days like this, I head out of the Casino for a bit. Get to see the sunlight and such. It’s nice, but it gets rather lonely. Would you be opposed to accompanying me?”

Cuphead looked at him, wondering if his ears weren’t lying to him. “You mean it?”

“I always mean what I say.” He, with Dice… alone? His cheeks heated up.

“Great! I mean, I’ll finally be able to get outta here. I’ve been trapped here so long I can walk around with my eyes closed.”

“Believe me, Cuphead, you’ll be able to do much more than that once true boredom grabs ahold of you.”

Cuphead opened his mouth to say that he can’t ever get bored here in a flirtatious manner but decided not to.

“But I digress. Are you ready?”

“Ready whenever you are, Dice!”

“Then let us take leave of this disgusting establishment.” He began to walk but turned around. “One more thing, Cuphead.”

“Yeah?”

KD smiled sourly. “My name is _King_ Dice.”

 

......

 

Cuphead and King Dice walked around for at least two hours, visiting everyone living in Inkwell Isle. Well, Cuphead visited them; KD collected tariffs. Many things had happened since Cuphead and Mugman burned all of the contracts,but what hadn’t happened was the release of the citizens from the Devil’s grasp. The contracts burned were just copies of the genuine ones, the ones the Devil had (which everyone forgot in their haste to get out of the Casino’s doors).

Why did he send Cuphead and Mugman on an elaborate journey, then? Why, simply because he wanted to be entertained. It’s not every day that Elder Kettle’s kiddos broke the rules, and he wanted to make the best out of it. To be perfectly honest, it was quite amusing for King Dice as well, stopping the little spitfire and his brother to remind them that when the debtors went easy on the little cups, they didn’t hand over the carbon-copy contracts.

Of course, it wasn’t fun to be shot to smithereens by them, but the rest of the fights had been splendid to watch.

Where was he? Ah, yes. Because the Devil still had their contracts, he made a deal with the residents: they give him a monthly tribute and he doesn’t snag their souls. Naturally, everyone agreed.

He took out a flask and had a swig before twirling the lid back on and putting it in his pocket. Cuphead glanced at him. “What’s in there, Dice?”

“King Dice. And it’s whiskey, the finest the Devil could find. It’s my payment for the work I do.”

“Why? Whaddya have against money?”

“Money isn’t worth the effort. Getting it, then wracking one’s brain, trying to decide what to spend it on… With the whiskey, the decision is already made. No hassle, no fuss, no time being wasted on deciding what strikes my fancy. There isn’t enough time in the day to waste on the petty things.”

So… this walk wasn’t petty to him? Did it mean something to KD to be walking with him? Cuphead chided himself. _Cut it out! Beelzebub, why did he bother twisting everything Dice said to suit him?_

Cuphead was greatly relieved when he spotted Cala Maria, as it broke him from his train of thought.

“Why, if it isn’t Cuphead! How’ve you been faring?” He grinned at her.

“I’ve been swell, Maria. How ‘bout you?” She sighed dramatically.

“Why, I’ve busier than a billfish! My eels keep fighting, I need to stock up on food for the winter if I don’t want to be eating perch the entire time, and, to top it all off, I had to go and find a net’s worth o’ stones n’ snappers for _that_ fella right behind you!” She pointed her delicate hand accusingly at Dice, who had begun to fiddle with his mustache impatiently.

“Yes, yes. How tragic.”

“Dice…!” Cup smiled apologetically at Maria. She waved the smile away.

“No need, Cuppy dear. He’s always presumptuous toward us unfortunate debtors.” She glared at the purple square and handed him a net filled with at least forty pounds of fish in it, then another with so many stones it looked like it might burst. King Dice silently grunted as he took them from her, careful not to get his suit wet with the briny water. It was quite difficult, considering he was carrying a few jars of honey, a good deal of cheese, and so many other things Cuphead had long forgotten about. King glanced at the cup, eyebrows knit in concentration.

“Stay here; I’ll return shortly.”

“Aye aye, Dice!”

“King Dice.”

As soon as he was out of earshot, Maria grinned at him. “Now, Cuphead, why exactly are you walking with that Mister King Dice fellow?”

He, surprisingly, didn’t stammer as he responded. “Well, I was bored out of my skull and he was ‘bout to go on a walk, so I joined him.”

“You joined him? Just you? Alone?”

He tried his best to act suspicious instead of flustered. “What are you hinting at?”

“Oh, nothing, nothing at all… Just that, well, you two are alone. Together. Walking around Inkwell Isle… Isn’t that sort of like—“

“It is _not_ a date, Maria!” He felt his cheeks getting warm. Damnit. She grinned.

“But you want it to be, doncha?” He glanced away and mumbled something about that being stupid. She giggled. “No need to be ashamed, Cuppy dear. Of course, not until you start to get those wicked fantasies about him. Kissing you, tightly gripping your waist, sucking at your straw—“

“Oh, shut it, Maria!” He said, his face red and fingers trembling. She giggled even more. He looked like he was ready to dig a hole and remain in it for the rest of eternity, and he was. She always pushed his buttons in the worst way possible.

“Have you had any, recently, Cuphead? About all the things he’d do to you?~”

“I said shut it!” She held her sides as his face started to match the color of his nose. “Jeez, one o’ these days you’re gonna embarrass me to death.”

“Now, now. I’m only messing with you.” He splashed some water on her, and she grinned. “Feel better?”

“Well, my heart’s going at th’ speed of sound, and Dice’s gonna be here any minute and see me all red in the face, but besides that? ‘Sides that, I fell a lot better.”

“Good.” There was a silence for all of twenty seconds before Maria decided to fill it. “Y’know, if you want, I can ask him what he thinks of you.”

“…Why?”

She shrugged. “Why not?” After a second Cuphead sighed.

“Whatever pleases you, Maria. Just not right now. I’d rather not have to move halfway across the world today.”

“Yes, yes, alright.” Her eye moved to a purple figure. “Here he comes. Good luck on your date, Cuphead!”

“It’s _not_ a _date_!” He could feel his cheeks becoming hot again. Fucking hell.

King Dice stopped almost directly behind the cup, wiping the dust off his hands.

“What happened?” she asked him innocently. “I thought Hell was downhill.”

King rolled his eyes at the mermaid before turning to Cuphead. “Let us be off.” The cup nodded, waved goodbye to Maria, and went after him.

As they walked away, he clumsily took the flask out of Dice’s pocket and downed nearly a quarter of it, almost gagging at the bitter taste. KD raised an eyebrow. “I’ll never understand her,” Cuphead told him, shaking his head. Satisfied with the answer, King looked back at the path and went down to the Stageplay Auditorium.

 

–––

 

Soon they were at the first Isle, where Cuphead’s adventure had begun. KD looked around. The forest was dense and full of sounds; a hundred feet away, the ocean crashed on a cliff it had made. Elder Kettle’s house was in worse shape than it was before, and Le Grand’s place was faring no better. Granted, he was dead, but the fact that no one was taking care of it saddened Dice a bit. Did no one really care enough to spend a few minutes tidying up the land around his gravestone?

Sighing, Dice went over to it and began pulling weeds. Cuphead was a bit more than shocked when the purple man was no longer at his side. He spent a good ten seconds looking for him before realizing he was a few feet away. Hastily, he went over to KD.

“Dice, what’cha doing?”

“King Dice. I’m cleaning his burial site.” Cuphead stared him, confused.

“Why?”

He looked up at the cup, a strangely sorrowful look in his eyes. “Because one day, I will share the same fate. Hopefully, when that time comes, I will have someone to care for the last remaining sign that I once walked the earth.”

Cuphead’s stood lost in thought for few seconds before brushing it off. “Dice, you think too much.”

“There is no such thing.”

“No, Dice, I’m…” Cuphead lost his balance, but he quickly regained it thanks to the tree behind him. “I’m serious. Do you even know how to not work?”

“King Dice. And what kind of question is that?”

He said, without batting an eye, “A rhetorical one.”

Dice blinked. “…That’s not what I–– never mind. Yes, I know how to stop working. I just choose not to.”

“Why?”

“There isn’t enough time. There’s never enough time.” Cuphead tilted his head slightly, almost in a confused manner. He thought for a second.

“Dice, do you always get an hour of sleep?”

“King Dice. No, this happens but occasionally. Why do you ask?”

“So this time is often filled up.”

“Yes.”

“…But it isn’t right now. So you can not work.”

“I suppose so, but–-“

“But what, Dice? You’ve gotta stop and rest sometime. Your battery’s gonna run out, then what? The Devil’s right-hand man is gonna be as quick as a slug and sharp as a mallet.”

Cuphead knelt down and started picking the weeds as well, picking three with his six hands. Huh. Usually, he had two. “As soon as we’re done, you’re gonna rest. ‘Kay?”

Dice sighed. “I have no real choice, do I?”

He laughed. “Nope!”

Dice listened to the laugh. To him, it sounded like chimes in the summer breeze. It was s short laugh, a laugh that was over too soon, but while it lasted, it had brightened up the forest. He raised his eyes to the cup’s forehead. The liquid glistened and splashed against the sides, the straw moving its stripes like a barber pole as it rolled around the rim. What had it tasted like? He suddenly wanted to try it again. He remembered it was sweet, and there was something about it that he couldn’t place…

Dice looked down to find the cup was staring at him, as well. Cuphead was gazing into KD’s eyes, getting lost in the jade-green sea. The eyes trailed down to the die’s pip nose, a purple that complimented his eyes nicely. And the stick-thin mustache that was always straight, and those lips… He wanted to bite them. They looked so soft, so gentle. He wanted to feel them.

Kiss them.

Kiss them hard.

Cuphead launched himself at Dice without warning, putting his arm’s around his neck and kissing him like it was the end of the world. KD stared for a second, shocked, before kissing back with as much ferocity. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to. No, he needed to. The urge was sudden, but, as he eventually came to realize, it shouldn’t have been unexpected.

Heh. No, it was like a dam breaking. The need that had been bottled up for so long rushed forward with nothing to stop it.

He felt his bottom lip being bitten, and he opened his mouth. Almost as soon as he did that, a warm, searching, prying tongue slipped in, and Dice was quite eager to return the favor. The cup tasted like strawberries and his favorite liquor, roses and nectar, the summer day of his laugh, the––

…His favorite liquor?

King Dice realized everything in a split second. He was on the ground, Cuphead on top of him. His whiskey flask was three-quarters empty, and the cup had drunk most of the three-quarters. He had been losing his balance and acting strange, and though Dice originally brushed it off, it became obvious to him that the cup was rather intoxicated.

No. This isn’t right. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.

KD pushed the cup off of him as gently as he could. Cuphead wined. “Dice…”

“King Dice.” He got up, brushed off his knees, and put his arms under the cup’s shoulder blades and knees. “Let’s get you to bed.”

“But why?”

“You’re drunk.”

The cup fumed. “Am not! And I can stand on my own, y’know.”

“I’m sure.” He began to walk.

“H-hey, put me down! Now!”

“No. Put your arms around my neck and go to sleep.” Instead of doing as he was told, Cuphead crossed his arms.

“No.” King Dice stared at him coldly, and after a second, the cup’s gaze slowly fell. “…Fine.”

And so, Cuphead fell asleep to the sound of King Dice’s heartbeat as the die carried him past the debtors(including a grinning Cala Maria), back to the casino, in the doors, past the dirty rag and bloodied water, and into his room, where Mugman was sleeping peacefully. Carefully, he laid him down on the bed and slipped out of the room.

…That had certainly been interesting. Dice felt his cheeks heat up as he wondered if Cuphead would remember anything in the morning, and it got even worse when he concluded the cup would.

What would he do? What would he say? Would it just be awkward? Why the hell did he kiss Cuphead back? Dice sighed. This was one of the reasons he worked non-stop. To avoid things like _this_ from happening.

Well, no use in mulling over it, over him. Dice had things to do. Like clean up the bloody water, get changed out of his dirty suit, get the taste of Cuphead’s mouth out of his, maybe he should check on him, and the cup was still wearing his shoes, maybe Dice should take them off him, and then he was thinking about the ferocity of Cuphead’s gaze, and—

…Damnit.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Well, that just happened.
> 
> Sorry I haven't posted in a few months! I had no idea where to go, and I still don't, but I have a little bit of a clearer idea now. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! :)


	4. Misremembering

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it took forever! I've been writing other things that I'll probably never post because of how bad they are... >.<
> 
> I know this isn't the best chapter, and I still have no clue where I'm going, but hopefully it'll only get more interesting from here!
> 
> Please enjoy :)

 

Cuphead woke up only because Mugman shook him for a solid five minutes. He had a headache, everything was too bright, and Mugman was being way too loud. Slowly, he got out of bed, brushed the awful taste out of his mouth, and resentfully put on his clothes. Not the ones he wore to bed, another pair. But he only had only one pair ofshoes, so he had to use the ones he had slept in.

…He slept in his shoes. Way to go, Cuphead.

It was obvious to himself that he had been drinking, but where and with whom, he didn’t remember. In fact, the more he thought about it, the less he could remember. Dreams mixed into reality until it was one big pot of cleaning wounds and graveyards and flying around with King Dice. In fact, he wasn’t sure if any of it was real. Coming to the conclusion that anything in his head was guilty until proven innocent, he, grumbling about life, walked out of his room.

A glance at the clock told him it was six in the afternoon, and he barely held back a stream of curses. The customers were out and about, which meant that he would be working hard from the get-go. Working with noisy customers and bright lights. Oh, and a headache.

“C’mon, Cuphead! We gotta get going!” Mugman energetically pulled on the cup's sleeve.

_If you were anyone else, Mugs, you’d be half dead right now,_ he thought, heading to the bar. Where he could get orders. And give them to gambling fools.

Why was he in this predicament again? Ah, yes, betting his fucking soul in a deal with the Devil, the former Bringer of Light who was thrown from heaven after wanting to be as powerful as the Big Man. What a great idea that was. And Mugman tried to stop him, but nooo, he just had to be a greedy little bastard.

…And, novella summarized, he’s now here. Hungover. Irritable. A crush on a Dice and as stupid as before.

Lovely.

The hangover made him even more cynical than usual, and he leered at the idiots that decided to deal with the Devil. He muttered curses at the impudent bartender, giving him trays upon trays of drinks to give to the gamblers. He scowled at the singing dancer, who was lucky the Devil found a plaything; if he hadn’t, she would’ve been next… Well, considering who she was blowing kisses to, her standards were lowered enough to enjoy being with him…

Ugh.

The day passed extremely slowly but extremely quickly at the same time. It was nothing but a blur, another person that was as greedy as Cuphead was losing their soul. Someone spilled their drink, and none of the good-for-nothing, lazy demon cleaning crew did shit about it. As a result, he ended up slipping on it. He managed to keep the glasses from breaking, but at the end of the incident, he was absolutely soaked.

He got up, shot death glares at the snickering demons in the corner, and went to his room. He took a shower, an Advil, and got back to work. In soggy shoes, that time.

By the time eleven turned into four, he was more than ready to go to bed. But something stopped him. Well, something and someone.

“Cuphead, where _were_ you last night?” Mugman asked.

He shrugged. “No clue, Mugs. I was in the Devil’s office, then I was walking around Inkwell Isle, then… I don’t know.”

“I was kinda worried, Cuphead. I got up in the middle of the day and you weren’t there.I couldn’t find you anywhere in the Casino. I checked the bar, the Devil’s office, even King Dice’s office and bedroom—“

Cuphead tried not to choke. “M-Mugs! Why the hell would I be in there?!” 

“It wouldn’t’ve been the only time I found you sneaking around where you weren’t supposed to be.”

“Still! Mugs, why were you even looking for me?” Mugman rubbed his shoulder.

“I… I dunno, Cuphead. Just felt like you were gonna get into trouble if I didn’t find you.”

“Well, I’m here, see? I’m fine. I have a splitting headache and the lights are blinding, but I’m fine.”

“I know, I know. But even you don’t even know where you were. Isn’t that a bit suspicious?”

“I was walking ‘round Inkwell Isle, Mugs. I told you that.”

Mugman raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. “Alright, prove it. Who did you see, where did you go?”

“I visited anyone, and they gave me stuff. I didn’t carry it, though. And I chatted with Cala Maria, and she kept wanting to talk about King Dice. She embarrassed the hell outta me, and I had some whiskey. Then things started to get blurry… and I woke up with a headache.”

He stared at his brother blankly. “…That makes no sense.”

“Right? But I swear it’s true. It was so vivid. I remember Maria’s eels snapping at each other, and Werner talking about his damn cat, and the little bush I kept tripping over when we were collecting the contracts has grown at least twice its size. It had to be real.”

Mugman sighed. Even if his brother was telling the truth, there were so many holes in his story that needed to be filled. Why did Maria want to talk about King Dice? If they gave him stuff, why wasn’t he carrying it, and why doesn’t he have it now? And where did he get the whiskey from?

Well, scratching his head wasn’t gonna help. He decided to drop the subject and erase it from his mind.

…For now.

…..

King Dice was pacing the halls, thinking. Thinking about the dancer and the Devil and Bianca and Cuphead and yesterday with Cuphead and his blackjack table and the old vodka and Cuphead and damnit all to hell!

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from punching the wall out of frustration. He was obsessed with the cup. His looks, his demeanor, and how much he remembered. Did he remember anything at all? And when he kissed Dice, were there feelings behind it? Or was it just lust, or perhaps curiosity? He didn’t know. He wanted to know. He wanted to know so badly that it was all he could think about.

He had almost lost five rounds of blackjack in a row to a couple of satyrs, using the oldest tricks in the book, before snapping out of his daze enough to realize there were five aces in his hand.

…Yes, it was that bad. Not only did need just three aces to win a hand, there should be only four in the deck. And two of them had blue backs, not red.

“Ey, Dice!” The cup was walking toward him. KD stopped abruptly. “What was with you and the table? There were so many kinds of cards in that deck; I think there were even a few from a Monopoly game!”

Quickly, he regained his usual attitude. “King Dice. And yes, Satyrs aren’t exactly the brightest bunch, are they?”

Cuphead laughed. “You’re the one that left the cards in the deck!”

His face heated up. “…I suppose I did.” Cuphead tilted his head, curious. Dice never made mistakes. And he certainly never made them at the blackjack table. He scanned the dice man’s face and found heated cheeks.

… Isn’t that a sign of a fever?

“Dice, you okay?” Heh. Funny he should be saying that. He was the one that life hated today.

“Fine. Why do you ask?”

“You made mistakes at the blackjack table. And your cheeks look all red. And you just forgot to remind me of your full name.” Cuphead furrowed his brows. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Quite. My head is throbbing slightly, but I’ll be fine with some sleep.”

Yes, that’s right. Dice didn’t get much sleep last night… wait, how did he know that?

“Oh, okay. Well, g’night, Dice!” Cuphead grinned, and KD gave him a tired smile.

“King Dice. And good night, Cuphead.”

And thus, the conversation ended, and Dice was no closer to knowing anything. Cuphead had completely ignored what had happened last night, but was that on purpose. No, that’s unlikely; Cuphead wouldn’t do that. He’d randomly blurt it out in the middle of one of Dice’s sentences. And was Cuphead worrying about him? Heh. Be still, his heart!

Though he told himself that sarcastically, he really did need his heart to stop trying to leap out of his chest. It wasn’t helping the blush on his cheeks in the least.

––––––

Though Cuphead tried to sleep, his mind kept dwelling on his discussion with Dice about an hour ago. Dice had said he needed some sleep, but he seemed to already know that. But how? Had Dice told him that, and, if so, when? He wracked his brain, trying to remember Dice telling him anything of the sort, but the more he searched, the less he could actually remember from today and yesterday.

And that wasn’t the only strange point; Dice was acting all strange, and he was for the entire day. When Cuphead confronted him about it, he said he had a headache. So his cheeks were red and he had a headache? He had a fever, most certainly.

Dice said he would get some sleep, but knowing him, he was probably up. Though he couldn’t sleep only occasionally, Cuphead knew there were other times he decided not to sleep.

…What did he mean, Dice couldn’t sleep only occasionally? How-?!

He sighed. At this point, with half an hour wasted on speculating, it wouldn’t help do it even more. He got out of bed slowly, trying his best not to wake his brother, tiptoed toward the door, and stepped out into the hall.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, what'll happen?! I can't wait to find out... :D
> 
> See you soon!


	5. Well, this is fun :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...Why is Cuphead in DIce's room again?

King Dice was reading 1984 for the… two-hundred and thirty-fifth time? Somewhere around that. Though he usually read philosophy, he had a soft spot for dystopian societies and card tricks. And this happened to check one of the boxes.

He liked the order to a fault, the perfectness at the expense of knowledge. It gave him a healthy dose of schadenfreude, a reminder that things could be worse. Of course, it could be worse, but it didn’t hurt to be reminded of it from time to time while working for the Devil.

Ah, how did he get into this situation? Working for the Devil, managing cigars and dominos and a couple of cups, one of which he had begun to slowly develop feelings for.

Yes, Cuphead, the hot-tempered and cheeky waiter. The one without a filter on his actions or his words. He had proven that the week prior when he had lunged onto King Dice. And KD had proved that his self-control was not as good as he thought it was. Of course, he could always blame it on the whiskey, but he knew that wasn’t the case. No matter what, he would have kissed back furiously, pressing his lips against Cuphead’s as desperately as if the cup was an air supply. He would have let his mouth fall open, let his tongue and hands wander, would have—

Dice’s face heated up again, and he blinked, pushing the thoughts away. He was supposed to be reading, not fantasizing. After a while, he managed to pull his reluctant brain from the exciting fantasy and back to the book. Let’s see, where was he?

 

_"He wondered whether after all there was a microphone hidden somewhere near. He and Julia had spoken only in low whispers, and it would not pick up what they had said, but it would pick up the thrush. Perhaps at the other end of the instrument some small, beetle-like man was listening intently — listening to that. But by degrees the flood of music drove all speculations out of his mind. It was as though it were a kind of liquid stuff that poured all over him and got mixed up with the sunlight that filtered through the leaves. He stopped thinking and merely felt. The girl's waist in the bend of his arm was soft and warm. He pulled her round so that they were breast to breast; her body seemed to melt into his. Wherever his hands moved it was all as yielding as water. Their mouths clung together; it was quite different from the hard kisses they had exchanged earlier. When they moved their faces_ _apart again both of them sighed deeply. The bird took fright and fled with a clatter of wings._

_"Winston put his lips against her ear. 'NOW,' he whispered._

_"'Not here,' she whispered back. 'Come back to the hideout. It's safer.'_

_"Quickly, with an occasional crackle of twigs, they threaded their way back to the clearing. When they were once inside the ring of saplings she turned and faced him. They were both breathing fast, but the smile had reappeared round the corners of her mouth. She stood looking at him for an instant, then felt at the zipper of her overalls. And, yes! it was almost as in his dream. Almost as swiftly as he had imagined it, she had torn her clothes off, and when she flung them aside it was with that same magnificent gesture by which a whole civilization seemed to be annihilated. Her body gleamed white in the sun. But for a moment he did not look at her body; his eyes were anchored by the freckled face with its faint, bold smile. He knelt down before her and—"_

His face was beyond flushed when he heard a faint knock on the door. He waited for a few seconds, barely daring to breathe, and when no other knock came, he assumed it was just his imagination. He blinked twice and hard, then went into his bathroom to wash his face. He sighed inaudibly as he closed the bathroom door. Even books had him fantasizing about the cup.

He started the water, and it landed on the porcelain sink with a faint splash. He tested it with his hand. Cold. Good. He cupped it in his hands, watching it spill over. Beelzebub, what was he doing? Why was he so fucking fixated on that damn Cuphead?!

He pressed his hands to his face, letting the water run from his silk gloves... which were now wet. Damnit.

King Dice took them off carefully and laid them on the towel rack. With any luck, they weren’t completely ruined and he could wear them again in a few days or so. He wiped his face on the towel the gloves were resting on, smiling to himself bitterly. Luck had abandoned him a long time ago. With a long sigh he opened up his bathroom door

And he must be seriously tired because there was a hallucination of Cuphead gaping at and right in front of him.

 

\---

…Damnit. How was he going to get out of this one?

It started out innocent enough. He just walked through the halls, looking eat everything, staring at paintings, checking the locks on the doors… you know, the usual. But he grew bored of it after a while. Read: quickly.

So, he decided to check on Dice. He had had a fever before, and he was certainly acting strangely. He should check to make sure that he was alright.

Because that was definitely the only reason he was going to see Dice.

So he went to the door, and after gathering up his courage for about two minutes, knocked on the door. There was no answer. Cuphead grew a little more worried. Was Dice okay? There was only one way to find out, but… damn, if his heart could stop going a million miles an hour that would be great. His hands were shaking. That never happened.

Maybe this was a bad idea. If Dice was sick, he’d want to be left alone, right? He could take care of himself. Definitely. Of course he could! He was a grown man, with a fever who left abruptly and what if the worst had happened to him? What if he was dying, or was already dead, or kidnapped by bandits or something?

Okay, the last one was a lot less plausible, but still. He was worried.

Cuphead slowly opened the door to KD’s room. “Dice?” he called faintly, but there was no answer. His bedding had some wrinkles on it, and there was a book with a bookmark in it, but those were the only signs of life in his room. Gently, he picked up the book. _1984_. Huh, wasn’t that some everything’s-gone-to-shit novel? He picked up and read a few lines from the marked page, before shutting it quickly, blush rushing onto his face.

Huh. Apparently it wasn’t.

He had just put the book down the same way he found it when the white noise he had faintly heard stopped. Cuphead glanced at where it was coming from. A door…?

Oh shit.

He didn’t even have time to jump out the window before the door opened, a tired and gloveless King Dice standing in front of him.

 

Ohh, shit.

They stared at each other for what seemed like eternity before Cuphead cracked an uneasy smile.

 

 

“H-hey, Dice; fancy seeing you here…?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! It's been, what, a year since I last posted? Shit's crazy, huh? Anyway, I'm just gonna leave this here and maybe work on some more chapters... Maybe

**Author's Note:**

> aaaaaaaa this is so bad! 
> 
> *Ahem*
> 
> I'm sorry I put you through that... But, if you did like it, I'm glad! :)


End file.
